KIP Student Feature – Bridgette Lang
Bridgette Lang (Pardee’23) is an International Relations major and spent this summer interning at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In these photos, you can see Bridgette at the UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and with fellow interns at an event with the High Commissioner.
Q&A with Bridgette Lang
Could you give us a brief description of the organization you are interning with and what your primary responsibilities are during this internship?
Established in December 1950, UNHCR is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights, and building a better future for asylum seekers, refugees, returnees, internally displaced communities, and stateless people. UNHCR currently operates in over 130 countries, using its long expertise to protect and care for millions. UNHCR’s Global Communications Service (GCS) generates and maintains public interest and support for people forced to flee. GCS produces and engages in strategic communications and content so UNHCR can lead the narrative, generate empathy, and mobilize action. As a social media intern, I work across platforms to create engaging content that tells the stories of refugees. From helping to pilot our weekly round-up Instagram stories to working with my communications colleagues from the East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes, my work is largely shaped by the current emergencies. I’m thankful that the social media team has been able to guide me and support me as I adjust to this new challenging work environment.
How did you find out about this internship, and could you tell us more about the application process?
After my internship with the State Department, I knew that there was more in the field I had yet to discover. Following some reflection, I realized that I would enjoy working in an international and/or multilateral organization, so I started thinking about internships with the United Nations. After researching a bit, I found out that each agency has its own application process and requirements. Of the few organizations that accept undergraduates, UNHCR also ticked my boxes because a lot of my coursework and interests fell in line with forced displacement studies. It seemed like a great fit. I then started to monitor their web pages for job postings, checking in every week or so. After I applied to the internship, there were multiple rounds of evaluation through an exam and an interview. My biggest piece of advice to students who are looking into internships at organizations like the United Nations is to apply to positions where they already have the needed skills. I’ve had a few communications internships before, so that prior knowledge definitely improved my application and helped my case as a younger student.
How did your internship fulfill the goals of social justice?
My internship furthers social justice and human rights for displaced people by generating awareness and support for UNHCR’s activities. With more than 10 million followers across platforms, UNHCR sheds light on the diversity and unique needs of the refugee population that otherwise might not be apparent. As a social media intern, I specifically pick out stories that highlight refugees with disabilities, families, women and girls, and other underserved populations. Outside of external advocacy, we also link refugees with the resources they need. I’ve assisted with cataloging pre-made content and coordinating with the video team for some of the targeted outreach to Ukrainian refugees.
Has the work you have done this summer changed how you think about social justice?
My internship has shifted my perspective on exactly how social justice stories can be told. With an extremely large communications team working in various formats, my colleagues are often motivated to generate web traffic and to increase the visibility of their product, whether it be a press release, a web story, or a video. The more clicks, the better their team looks. During the first day of my internship, my supervisor made a very important point about this in one of the meetings I attended. Telling stories isn’t always about driving traffic to the UNHCR webpage or getting clicks on a link, telling stories is about reaching people where they are. Oftentimes, social media plays an important role in making stories accessible to the general public. Though we don’t have the luxury of telling a long or in-depth story via a Twitter post, maybe a simple photo and a quote can convey the same message and impact more people. Storytelling doesn’t need to be complex, and I hope to keep this important lesson of reachability in mind in the future.
How has the Kilachand coursework helped prepare you for the work you are doing during your internship?
When I took HC302, my professors shed light on the breadth of humanitarian solutions and how the refugee crisis could be addressed across disciplines. One of the specific lessons from HC302 that stuck with me was about how humanitarian organizations often lump refugees together and tokenize their neediness instead of telling their stories. I’ve been very conscious to not do this during my time with UNHCR, and I was pleased to learn that the rest of my team was also focused on telling the stories of individuals and humanizing them. If you scroll through our Instagram and other accounts, you’ll consistently see that we name our subjects and also include quotes from them about their interests, hopes, and work.
Learn more about the Kilachand Internship Program here.